All gathered moved back a step, clearing a path for her. Keeping her head high, she slowly made her way to her beloved. Forgotten and unnoticed, Amani slipped into the shadows of the lodge to watch the events unfold.
Reaching Hawkeye and his battlelords, she knelt down. Hawkeye was about to say something, when the same Warlord of the Puma tribe that had challenged Hawkeye earlier, spoke up. “Since when is an outsider allowed a seat on the Great Council?”
A small murmur ran through the gathering.
Another Warlord interrupted this one from the Raven Tribe. “I’m not one to speak ill of the dead, especially of Red Crow. He was like a father to me but this I must protest. I’m sure Red Crow didn’t intend on giving her his seat on the Council or his title as Chieftain.”
The gathered warriors began to bicker and complain among themselves. A flash of anger washed over Hawkeye. He was about to yell at the two young Warlords when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. It was Anasazi. His hand had an unexpected calming effect on Hawkeye, causing him to bite back his retort.
Stepping forward, Anasazi held out his hands. Speaking in a loud, yet undeniably soft voice. “Friends, listen to me.”
The gathering fell silent. All eyes turned to look at the ancient shaman.
“My friends, you are right. There has never been an outsider to sit on the Great Council, nor has there ever been a woman.”
The gathering murmured their approval at his words.
“But there has never been a situation like this before either. Never has an outsider been claimed as heir by one of our greatest warriors. Never has an applicant to a seat on the Council met with the Gods. Never has one been the expectant mother of the Chosen One, the child of prophecy. All these and more make her claim to a seat on the Great Council legitimate. I for one support her claim to the seat.”
Odovacar stepped forward. “I too support her claim.”
Nilrem and Chewda stepped forward. “We also support her claim.”
Slowly several other warlords stepped up to stand behind Tatianna, showing their support without words. Soon, all but five warlords were standing behind Tatianna.
Tatianna looked at the five that remained and said, “I will not be the cause of a division of the War Council, if the whole council cannot agree on my appointment, then I will step aside.”
The five that remained smiled at the thought of their victory.
“But,” she added. “You must first tell me why you disapprove of my claim and allow me the chance to prove my worth.”
The Puma Warlord snickered. “It’s simple. You are an outsider and a female. You have not earned the right to sit on the Council.”
Shifting her stance, she casually rested her left hand on the pommel of her sword. “And how does one earn that right?”
“Through combat of course! If you were truly a Highlander you would know that! You are just an outsider, who thinks just because you have our appointed leader wrapped around your little finger; we will all jump and dance at your beck and call. Well, you’re wrong. We are the mighty Highland Nation! We answer to no one but ourselves!”
Tatianna could feel the tension in the room grow. She heard a slight bestial growl behind her. Without turning around, she knew Hawkeye was livid with anger.
However, numerous thoughts raced through her mind. ‘If he feels this way, then I wonder how the others feel? Maybe deep down, even those who are supporting my claim have the same sentiment deep down.’
Turning to look at the other four warlords who stood against her Tatianna asked, “Are your feelings the same?”
All four nodded their heads. The Warlord of the Raven tribe spoke up. “I also dispute your claim to the title of Chieftain of the Raven tribe.”
Letting her crooked smile come across her face, Tatianna asked, “Are the two of you challenging me?”
The two outspoken Warlords glanced at each other. With a quick nod of their heads they agreed. The Puma Warlord spoke first. “Red Eagle, I challenge your claim to the seat on the Great Council.”
The Raven Warlord said, “Red Eagle, heir of Red Crow, I challenge your claim to the title of Chieftain of the Raven Tribe.”
Looking at the other three, she asked, “And do any of you also challenge me?”
They looked at each other and shook their heads.
“Then, if I defeat their challenges, all five of you will support my claim and in turn support the one true leader of the Highland Nation, Kamots Hawkeye the Wolflord?”
All five nodded their heads.
Clapping her hands together, she turned to her challengers. “Okay, you’re on! Let’s go!”
The two warlords were taken aback slightly. “We must prepare for the challenge.”
Tatianna shook her head. “I don’t think so. You challenged me. It is my right to state the conditions of the battle and I say right here! Right now! To first blood!”
The Puma warlord laughed loudly. “Then this will be the shortest challenge in history.”
A slight shudder ran up the Puma warlord’s spine as he quickly shifted into his animal form. A moment later, he was a large sleek puma. Weighing close to three hundred pounds of all muscle, the mountain lion was beautiful. His coat was a yellowish brown with streaks of black running from the mouth to the eyes. Lowering his upper body close to the ground, he wiggled his haunches back and forth slightly to dig in his massive claws as he prepared to spring.
All those gathered around Tatianna, including Hawkeye and Anasazi, backed away. Tatianna did nothing more than shift her stance slightly and rest her right hand on the pommel of her sword which hung on her left hip.
The two combatants locked eyes for a moment. She could see the Raven Warlord take a few steps back, waiting for his turn. A smile flickered across her face as she waited for the Puma Warlord to make his move. She didn’t have to wait long.
With a loud roar, the puma launched himself across the room. Tatianna didn’t move a muscle as the large cat came flying at her in a golden blur. There are few things in life that would be scarier than an enraged puma charging at you but Tatianna didn’t flinch.
Several shouts of “Move!” or “Lookout!” or “Duck!” echoed in the lodge but Tatianna did none of those until the very last second. Just before the puma reached her, she took one step to right. She didn’t rush, she just moved out of his way. At the same time, she made a fluid draw and slice of her sword.
The Puma Warlord landed a few feet passed her present position with a loud growl. Turning quickly, he prepared to pounce again when he noticed her position. She was standing absolutely still with her sword drawn and her blade pointing to the floor. Drops of red blood stained the mirrored finish of her blade while something small, brown and slightly triangular lay on the dirt floor.
The Puma Warlord studied the object on the floor. It was furry and slick with blood. That’s when he noticed the intense pain in his left ear and the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. She had cut off the top of his ear! Growling deep in his throat, his anger began to overwhelm him. He was about to pounce at her again, when two huge and hairy arms wrapped themselves around him.
Nilrem, in his hybrid bear form, had grabbed the enraged warlord in an immense bear hug. The Puma Warlord struggled briefly, clawing and biting at his arms. With a quick squeeze, Nilrem spoke softly. “You have lost. It was to first blood and you are bleeding. If you don’t shift back to your normal form before I count to ten, I will squeeze the life out of you. Do I make myself clear?” He punctuated the sentence with another tight squeeze.
The Puma Warlord relaxed and let the change come over him. “I admit defeat, Red Eagle wins!”
There was a loud cheer as those gathered celebrated her victory. Tatianna allowed herself a small smile before turning to fix her eyes on her next opponent.
Corax, the Raven warlord just smiled. Nodding his head in a form of greeting, he shape-shifted into a large raven. Glancing at her, he launched himself out the lodge.
> Hawkeye asked, “Now where is he off too?”
Tatianna leaned up and kissed him briefly. “Don’t worry my love, I was prepared for this.”
Tatianna sheathed her sword and walked out of the lodge. Hawkeye and the rest of the War Council followed her. Looking up, they could see Corax circling the Lodge of the Moon at a height of a hundred feet or so.
Closing her eyes, Tatianna spoke the word of her spell. “Buto Jamaicensis!”
A shiver ran up her spine as Tatianna’s body began sprouting feathers. Her arms shortened, becoming large wings; while her face elongated, becoming the curved beak of a raptor. A moment later, a beautiful red-tailed hawk flapped her wings and Tatianna the Red Eagle squawked loudly. With a brief wink at Hawkeye, she launched herself skyward to do battle with the Raven warlord circling above.
For a moment, Tatianna lost herself in flying. The rushing of the wind through her feathers, the lightness of her body, these were almost overwhelming. It was one of the most exhilarating feelings she had ever experienced. Shape-shifting was not something new to her. She had done it many times before and strangely enough, the red-tailed hawk had always been her favorite form. She could remember at least a dozen times over the last ten years that she had assumed the form of a hawk for one reason or another but she had never had to fight as a hawk before.
Sure, she had watched the great birds of prey fight. They would climb to great heights before they would dive. Swooping in, attacking with their razor sharp beaks or slashing with their talons. Trying their best to rip or break their opponent’s wings in the process. Sometimes the two great birds would grapple each other, holding on with their talons, causing both to plummet to the earth at incredible speeds. All the while, they would be striking at each other with their beaks or talons. Then at the last moment, they would release each other and try to regain enough control not to crash into the ground. Sometimes they were successful and sometimes they weren’t but that is the way of nature; only the strong survive.
As these thoughts rushed through her mind, she heard a loud screech from above her. Instinctively, she dipped her left wing and dove toward the ground. A flash of black and the rush of air next to her right wing told of the Raven warlord’s slashing attack.
Looking over her right shoulder, she could see him flapping his wings hard as he flew off toward the south. He was trying to regain his superior altitude. Tatianna inwardly smiled at herself. She was headed north, toward the walls of the crater that encased Itasca. She knew there would be updrafts nearby. That coupled with her longer wingspan should give her a slight advantage in speed. Turning her attention to her surroundings, she flapped her mighty wings and began searching for the updrafts. As she approached the imposing cliff face, she felt a slight lightening of her body. She had found one!
Flying in a tight circle, she continued to flap her wings but not as often. Instead she concentrated on shifting her weight from side to side, helping her gain altitude quickly. She couldn’t see Corax at the present but knew where he was headed, up.
Allowing herself another smile. ‘This is just like any other battle. It’s just like Khlekluëllin always told me. Take in the position and attitude of your enemy. Position yourself in a superior location. Understand your enemy’s timing. And when he is unprepared, strike hard and fast!’
Passing the crest of the mountain, Tatianna turned out over the village. Using the enhanced vision granted to her by her hawk’s form, she located the Raven Warlord. He was circling the village about three hundred feet below her. Judging from the way Corax was scanning the skies below him, Tatianna guessed he didn’t know she was above him.
‘Let’s get this over with!’ she thought.
Folding in her wings, she dove. Picking up speed, she was moving fast and the distance between them began to close rapidly while Corax was still searching the lower skies.
‘The fool. He has underestimated me and that will be his undoing.’
When she was less than fifty feet above him, she unfurled her wings. The rushing wind pulled on them as she regained control of her speed and direction. Altering her course slightly, she positioned herself slightly above and behind the Raven Warlord. She was planning to rake his back with her razor sharp talons, drawing first blood and ending the contest. Just as she was about to make her attack, the sun broke through the heavy clouds which hung overhead, bathing the village and its surroundings in bright sunlight.
Scanning the lower skies, Corax saw his shadow flicker in and out over the lake. That’s when he saw a second shadow trailing behind him by a few yards. Panic swept through his body for a brief second before he dove.
The moment the sun came out, Tatianna knew she was in trouble. By the way Corax dove; she knew he had spotted her shadow. Nothing could be done about it, so she also dove.
A grand game of follow the leader issued forth.
Corax had the lead and a slight edge in experience with aerial combat but Tatianna had the edge in size and wingspan. Her knowledge of battle strategy could not be overlooked. It was only by the fickle hand of Hodios the God of Mischief that the sun came out, giving away her position.
Corax flew out of sight of the village and into the forest as he realized she had the advantage in the open skies. Her wingspan and keen eyesight would allow her to out fly him but they would not be as useful in the confined areas of the forest. He zigged behind a tree, zagged around some bushes, dove under a fallen tree and climbed to the tops of the great pines that grew this far north. Glancing back, he saw her match each of his aerial maneuvers perfectly.
Smiling inwardly, Corax’s respect for Red Eagle was growing. Not many Highlanders could match his flying. Red Crow himself had given him his name of manhood, Black Arrow. The old warlord had once described his flying as ‘a black arrow shot from the bow of Luna.’
Keeping up his aerial acrobatics for at least a half-hour, he used every trick, fair and unfair, to shake her loose but to no avail. She stayed with him, matching every turn, twist, dive or climb he made. She was even gaining on him as he began to tire. The advantage of her wingspan and sleek body were adding up but he was not ready to give up. He still had a trick or two left.
Diving through a large fir tree, Corax startled several crows that lived there. Three crows bolted out of the tree and flew off in different directions. Doubling back quickly, Corax cut out of the tree in a wholly different angle.
Tatianna was not surprised when Corax dove into the large fir tree. He had made several such maneuvers over the last hour. However, following him into the tree she was startled by the four crows which flew out. Each of the crows was rather large, nearly the same size as Corax and by the way each moved, it was hard to tell which one was the Raven Warlord. Picking one at random, she sped after the fleeing crow.
Suddenly, Tatianna felt something heavy land on top of her. A flash of pain raced through her body as razor sharp teeth dug into the back of her neck. All she could see was red fur and the ground approaching rapidly. There wasn’t time to do anything except tuck in her wings and pray to Aurora that she didn’t break her neck when they landed.
Landing with a loud thump, a wave of pain swept through her body. She smiled weakly and thought, ‘Well, I must still be alive. I hurt too much not to be!’
Looking around the snowy clearing they had just landed in, she saw her assailant. It was a large red fox with bloodshot eyes. Its coat was matted with bristles, mud and snow. Saliva dripped from its half-opened mouth as it began to circle the injured hawk that was Tatianna.
Hopping to her feet, Tatianna tried to flap her wings for balance. Intense pain raced up her left wing and left side of her body. It even hurt to breathe deeply. Without looking, Tatianna knew her left arm and a few ribs were broken.
Hearing a slight hiss behind her, Tatianna turned to face her attacker and a wave of pain washed over her. She realized that in her present form, she was no match for a hungry fox. Closing her eyes she dismissed the spell that held her to her hawk form. Norm
ally there wasn’t any pain when she shifted forms, just a tingling of her skin and a weird sensation of the world getting larger but this time it was different.
Her broken wing didn’t want to elongate properly, so her bones couldn’t shift into their proper place which caused her to cry out in pain. The ribs on her left side were tender to the touch and any twisting of her torso caused a wave of dizziness to sweep over her. Instinctively, she knew if she passed out, then she would be the fox’s dinner for sure. When her head cleared enough so she could see straight, she was shocked to find that the fox had not run away. It was still standing there studying her.
Waving her good hand, Tatianna said, “Go away. Go find your dinner elsewhere.”
Tatianna watched in shocked fascination as a shiver ran up the fox’s body and it began to grow. The thick red fur thinned as it became red hair all over his body. The nose and ears shortened, until they became a blend of the best features of a fox and a man. The ears were still furry and long but they now sat on the sides of the head like that of a man’s. The nose and jaw were long and pointy, like that of a fox. Sharp teeth lined his mouth and a long pink tongue flicked in and out as he spoke with a soft and sinister voice. “But I don’t want to go elsewhere for my dinner. I have already caught my dinner.”
“Who…who are you?”
He raised one hand to his chest in mock dismay. “You don’t recognize me? Have I been forgotten that quickly?”
Something about the way he spoke made Tatianna think that she knew this ragged Highlander. Was it his condescending tone or his air of superiority? That’s when his name popped into her head. “Red Ferret!”
Standing to his full height, he rubbed his clawed hands together. “I have dreamed about this day since you first stepped inside our village. The day when you used your witch powers on Hawkeye and the rest, turning them against me. Only I saw through your spell. Only I recognized your true form.”
Tatianna quickly took stock of her situation. It was not very good. She was at a severe disadvantage. She was tired, bleeding and suffering from a broken arm and several broken ribs. Jolts of pain raced up her body every time she moved. She had to buy some time until she could figure a way out.
Tales of the Wolf: Book 01 - The Coming of the Wolf Page 31
